The $100,000 freshman finals for the New Jersey Sires Stakes (NJSS) will be raced this Friday evening (July 14) at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
Short fields dictate that three of the four finals will be raced as non-betting races starting at 6:30 p.m. They will be carried on the Meadowlands’ simulcast feed live.
On the pari-mutuel card is the filly trot where six daughters of Wishing Stone will decide the division of that purse. Morning line choice Princess Marx (to be driven by Andy Miller) looked sharp winning the second leg in 1:57.4 last week for owner Steve Stewart and trainer Justin Lebo. Noel Daley will send out a talented pair in leg one winner Be Bop Sally (Andy McCarthy) and Diamondstone US (David Miller) to contest the issue.
Fifteen Kindergarten pacing colts have been split into fields of seven and eight. Race 2 is the first $10,000 division, where Key Advisor (PP4, Scott Zeron) has shown steady improvement and was a 1:54.3 winner in his most recent qualifier for trainer Tony Alagna and owners Brittany Farms and Key Advisor Racing. To his outside from Post 6 Speed To Market (Corey Callahan) flashed high speed in his first money start, setting an honest pace before succumbing late in a :26.1 final quarter in the 1:52 mile.
In the third race the Kindergarten colts are led by Closing Statement (PP3, Tim Tetrick) who disappointed both his connections and the public by skipping off stride while 1-5 at Pocono. He’ll get a chance at redemption on Friday for trainer Joe Holloway and owners Val D'Or Farm, Rojan Stable and Ted Gewertz. He'll have to deal with Born To Be Bad (Andy Miller) who has an Ohio Sires Stakes win at Scioto Downs under his belt.
A field of nine comprises the first of two Kindergarten pacing filly division. All On Top Hanover (PP2, Marcus Miller) clearly has the best résumé of this group, having been second in a fast overnight, where she paced her final quarter an eye-popping :25.3, then was third beaten less than a length in 1:52 in a NYSS at Vernon Downs. Crawford Farms recently bought into the filly joining Erv Miller Stable, Ron Michelon and George Golemes as owners.
The second filly division is an evenly matched group of eight in the eighth race. Kissin In The Sand (PP7, Yannick Gingras) was the highest priced yearling of the group at $130,000 and owners Marvin Katz and Bud Hatfield placed her with trainer Nancy Johansson. After a pair of impressive qualifiers at the Meadowlands, Kissin In The Sand broke stride as the favourite at Pocono. She'll likely be a popular choice in this one, returning to the big track.
Post time is 7:15.
(Meadowlands Racetrack)